7 rules for flying like a modern gentleman

You can’t check your responsibility for proper travel etiquette at the gate.

From the laws of the armrest to the unofficial dress code, here are a few things every guy should know before stepping onto a plane.

SEE ALSO: 11 things no man should have in his apartment

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You can drink, but don’t get drunk.

Sure, plenty of people imbibe in the airport and on the plane, but this is not a night on the town. You’re traveling — there’s absolutely no reason to overdo it.

Plus, flying dehydrates you. Have a glass of water in between cocktails.

Try not to use the plane’s bathroom if you can help it.

Unless you have some kind of medical issue, a flight under four hours shouldn’t require a trip to the lavatory. (Yet another reason to drink lightly.) Leave it open for those who really need it, like the elderly or parents with small children.

Don’t recline your seat.

The fact that your seat can recline doesn’t mean that it should recline. Reclining only makes your seat slightly more comfortable while making the seats of those beside and behind so much more uncomfortable. Not only that, the people affected by your seat recline often end up reclining their own seats, starting a pointless chain of chair reclining.

Those in the back row have it the worst, as their seats don’t recline. Never recline your seat if you’re in the second-to-last row.

You can't check your responsibility for proper travel etiquette at the gate. From the laws of the armrest to the unofficial dress code, here are a few things every guy should know before stepping onto a plane. SEE ALSO: 11 things no man should have in his apartment DON'T FORGET: Follow Business Insider's lifestyle...